Posted on 09/30/2013 11:04:52 AM PDT by Shout Bits
SPOILER ALERT!
AMC's Breaking Bad's finale last night vindicated team Walt. While Walt died, the show's premise was always that Walt's days were few. The question was what Walt might accomplish with his remaining life. Certainly not how he anticipated, but Walt did indeed leave money for his family, bring closure to Hank's murder, settle scores with his enemies, and die largely on his own terms. Compared to the moral morass where Hank lived, Walt's dive into crime looks admirable.
No doubt Walt's product is highly dangerous and prone to abuse; meth addicts are among the sorriest stories. However, Hank brewed alcohol, another substance that is addictive and ruins many lives. Gutter drunks are equally wretched as toothless meth fiends. The main difference was that Walt was very good at cooking meth, while Hank's brewing was a failure. Most people rightly believe meth to be prima facie evil, but setting aside legalities, Walt was more honest than Hank.
Hank began the series as a jocular drug warrior. He laughed at the arrests and deaths of his prey, and engaged in some aggressively racist attacks as well. Of course Hank's prey chose their paths, but the suffering and death of a black market never gave Hank pause. Breaking Bad asked the very valid question as to whether the drug war is worth its costs, but that never penetrated Hank's façade of bravado. On the other hand, Walt agonized over every innocent death – especially early on. Walt clearly regretted the violence and ruined lives of his industry – even to the point of unnecessarily risking his own freedom and money to save others.
Walt's code of ethics, such as they are in the drug trade, was absolute. Apart from stealing certain raw materials which he would have preferred to purchase, Walt attempted to run a business where people only acted upon their free will (i.e. an honest business). To be sure Walt did some horrible things as the show moved along, but in each case he was dragged into his actions by the nature of his industry. Unlike most every other character, Walt was not the protagonist of the show's horrors.
Hank, however, was amoral. He arrested and sometimes allowed for the murder of his prey without ever considering his morality. Hank's wife Marie was a profligate shop-lifter, but he never arrested her. Indeed, Hank allowed Marie to give stolen jewelry to Walt's wife – a felony conspiracy. Hank was an entity of force, coercion, and deception; he did not need to trade on reputation.
Do business with those who have an incentive to be honest – people like Walt. People who must deliver on their obligations to survive are businessmen, and if Walt's business had been legal he would have been a man to trust. Doing business with people isolated from responsibility like Hank is risky. People like Hank who derive their power from government force can change the rules to suit themselves, and generally operate without consequences. Every time a Hillary Clinton cannot recall for whom she worked or how she made a killing in cattle futures, an honest person asks how he could ever get away with such shenanigans. Every time a Lois Lerner takes the fifth, yet remains on the payroll to retire with full benefits, and honest person knows he would be fired and lose everything under similar circumstances.
Even though Walt was a criminal and murderer, he lived in the world most people know – one with consequences. Hank had the veneer of authority, but it meant little. Do business with Walts, not Hanks.
Shout Bits can be found on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ShoutBits
Walt was a drug dealer, he deserved to die and deserves no accolades at all. May his character rot in hell.
How is that for having an absolute moral compass like the article praises walt for having?
The worst #TeamWalt justification ever.
He was a murderous drug producer who left his wife a widow, his baby daughter without a father and his teen aged son living the rest of his life in shame. He completely deserved his death.
Makes some interesting points.
I have about 20 middle episodes to catch up on.
This little write-up explains a bit that I have missed, like Hank and Marie’s illegal tendancies.
The series creator was interviewed last night. He is a devotee to Rod Serling’s “Twilight Zone”. That explains his style. Make the audience expect the ordinary and give them a complete surprise.
He completely deserved his death.
____________________________________________________________
We’re all dirty rotten sinners who deserve death. Only through the Cross and Jesus can anyone find restittution with God.
I’m getting a real strong libertarian vibe from this article. I almost expected the author to denounce those evil drug laws that made Walt a villain.
“We’re all dirty rotten sinners who deserve death. Only through the Cross and Jesus can anyone find restittution with God.”
Agreed. Did Walt ever call on the name of The Lord (didn’t follow the show)?
Every month people would get their script for Desoxyn or Biphetamine 20 or whatever. These were blue collar people doing what they needed to get back into the plants (This was Detroit) and perform at their best.
Then the DEA ruled that weight loss was no longer valid for prescribing amphetamines.
So it went underground.
The law of unintended consequences is a law after all.
Gosh, who knew. Idiots.
Walt’s dead, Jim.
“Walt did indeed leave money for his family...”
Very doubtful. His former partners aren’t going to launder $9M to give to his family. Skinny Pete or Badger is going to call them and tell them the lasers were a rouse after he finds out Walt is dead. The Feds are going to get the money.
No, I believe the closest the show came to addressing God was before his first murder he made a list of pros and cons, where I believe he listed it as against Judeo-Christian Morals.
Re: “But Walt did indeed leave money for his family.”
This part of the premise indicates that the writers - and viewers - are completely unfamiliar with the job benefits of being a government union employee.
Walt’s financial fears for his family were completely absurd.
I’ll guess his pay was in the $65,000 range.
His health care costs would be completely covered.
When he became too sick to work, his disability pay would essentially be the same as his normal paycheck.
His union contract provides an automatic life insurance policy - probably $250,000.
He would have the option - even after being diagnosed with a terminal illness - of buying an extra $50,000 of life insurance each year.
If he lives for 3 years, that provides a $400,000 tax free policy for his family, which would pay off his mortgage.
When he dies, his wife would receive his retirement pay plus health coverage for the rest of her life - at least $3,000 a month.
His children would receive special supplemental funding plus health care - I don’t know how much - until they become 22.
Since his oldest son is disabled, he would probably receive supplemental funding and health care for life.
His kids could attend a good public university simply with student loans and by working summers.
His wife, as a widowed mother of two, could get essentially free job training education for several years.
If she wants to be a stay-at-home Mom, then, most likely, the family would have to be careful about money and cut out some of the things they got used to when Walt was working full time, but NOTHING essential.
Also - the $9 million Trust that the “Gray Matter” folks are supposed to set up for Walt’s disabled son is problematic, to say the least.
They will have to commit multiple felonies to launder the cash, since large amounts of cash are completely USELESS in America unless you are buying or selling illegal goods, or buying legal goods from criminals who commit bank fraud and tax fraud.
Yeah, science, b1tch!
How do we know Walt died. If he got shot where his lobectomy was, then wouldn’t that be empty space?
And the other 6 barrels are still unaccounted for.....
Loved the series. Lighten up with the analytical crap. It’s a tv show.
Walt’s suicide showed everyone the biggest difference between him and his equally monstrous associate, Jesse. We see Walt accept responsibility for his evil and the perpetually whining Jesse not having nor willing to accept responsibility for anything.
Jesse was the most repulsive character on the show.
It looks like what you're doing is turning the whole G-man idea on its head. Instead of the government whitewashing its crimes because of its "good intentions," you're saying that the private enterprise crook and sociopath is justified because of his rigorous code. It's the same utilitarian or greater good justification of immoral acts turned upside-down.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.